Health experts have once again emphasised the importance of making family planning a deliberate and informed choice among families in Adamawa State.
The call was made by the Adamawa State Family Planning Focal Person, Hajiya Aishatu Garba Abubakar, during an outreach campaign organised by the State Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Development Agency at Bachure Community in Yola North Local Government Area.
The campaign is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness on reproductive health, encourage informed decision-making among women and families, and promote birth spacing for a healthier population.
Speaking at the event, Hajiya Aishatu Garba clarified misconceptions about family planning, noting that it is not designed to discourage childbirth but rather to ensure the health and well-being of mothers and children.
“Family planning is not about stopping women from having the number of children they desire,” she explained. “It is about spacing births and ensuring that every pregnancy and childbirth occurs under safe and healthy conditions — even if a woman wishes to have many children.”
Representatives from MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, Society for Family Health (SFH), and The Challenge Initiative (TCI), among other implementing partners, also participated in the outreach. They highlighted that proper family planning practices can significantly reduce maternal and child mortality, prevent unplanned pregnancies, and improve overall family well-being.
The experts further noted that the exercise aims to dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding contraceptive use while offering free counselling and a variety of family planning methods to residents.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Faith Haruna, expressed gratitude to the organisers, describing the outreach as both timely and impactful, especially for communities like Bachure that are densely populated.
“This program has really helped us understand the importance of spacing children,” she said. “Many of us now realise that family planning is a personal choice we must make if we truly want the best for our families.”
The Bachure outreach forms part of a broader effort by the Adamawa State Government and its partners to ensure that reproductive health services and family planning information reach every community across the state.y
